You kill the lights, I'll draw the blinds
by hermionesmydawg
Summary: A series of conversations between Kensi and Deeks. One conversation for each episode of season 5.
1. Ascension

This is just a series of short conversations between Kensi and Deeks, one for each episode of season 5.

I don't own any part of NCIS:LA or it's characters. It's probably a good thing too, cause they'd be a lot naughtier.

* * *

The silence in the car is deafening. If there is one thing Kensi Blye's partner is good at, it's avoiding long uncomfortable silences. But she could tell he wasn't the same person he was 24 hours ago. Torture and a near-death experience will do that to a man.

"I meant what I said earlier. I'm here for you, no matter what. I could come over tomorrow and bring you a smoothie?" Kensi tries breaking the silence, but Marty Deeks was in his own world. "Deeks?"

He startles at the sound of his name and turned to look at her. "Hmm?"

"Smoothie for lunch tomorrow?" she asks again.

"I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow."

"Well I could take you…" she presses again.

"No," Deeks replies firmly, sighing. They were almost to his apartment. "Look Kensi, I know what you're doing and you don't have to. I will be fine. I just need some time to…," he pauses, scratching the scruff on his face. "Time to figure things out. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it a long damn time."

Kensi slows her Cadillac down and puts it in park. "Okay. Well, then, I'll call you?" she asks, feeling dejected. She wants to be there for her partner, but knows from experience that smothering him won't be the answer.

"Yeah."


	2. Impact

This is just a series of short conversations between Kensi and Deeks, one for each episode of season 5.

I don't own any part of NCIS:LA or it's characters. It's probably a good thing too, cause they'd be a lot naughtier.

* * *

"No no no, I don't know, what are you doing?!"

The sound of her partner moaning in his sleep rouses Kensi from her light snoozing. She takes a second to look around. The TV is still on and they're still lying on his couch. Their half eaten dinner and unopened beers are sitting on his coffee table. Deeks whimpers in her right ear and she sits up, gently rubbing his shoulder. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Wake up, it's just a dream."

Deeks blinks his eyes and stares at her, confused. "Hi. Uh, did I fall asleep? Sorry, I don't know how that happened," he said, yawning. "I haven't slept like that in weeks. Did you put something in my food?" He closes his eyes again, hoping she doesn't notice the look of panic that's starting to show in them.

She smiles sleepily at him and tugs on his arm. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Wow, I must be dreaming still."

"Hush," Kensi growls and follows him to his bedroom. Unlike the rest of his apartment, it is spotless, as if he hasn't been in his bed for weeks. Deeks pulls back his covers and climbs in to bed. He stares at Kensi and she knows that he's trying to tell her thank you with his gaze. She feels the need to tuck him in securely and returns a gentle look down at him.

"Kens?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay? Just tonight."

"Okay."


	3. Omni

This is just a series of short conversations between Kensi and Deeks, one for each episode of season 5.

I don't own any part of NCIS:LA or it's characters. It's probably a good thing too, cause they'd be a lot naughtier.

* * *

Deeks looks around the Korean restaurant that Kensi drove them to for dinner. "Is this place new? It's a lot nicer than our usual Korean take-out place."

Kensi shrugs in response. "It's your first day back and we all lived to work another day. Is there something wrong with having a nice dinner to celebrate?"

He looks her with narrowed eyes but she doesn't make eye contact with him, instead browsing the menu like she doesn't know what she wants. She had a point. Things haven't been easy for him lately, and today was no exception. He knows he hesitated to take a shot and avoided confrontation again later in the day. Callen was right; he wasn't ready to come back. But he realized he needed the support of his co-workers to continue healing, and working was the best way to get it.

"I'm definitely getting the bulgogi," Kensi announces, breaking Deeks' train of thought.

"Really? I can't believe it."

Kensi sticks her tongue out at him, smiles and takes a large swig of her beer before grabbing a piece of kimchi and shoving it in her mouth.

He returns her smile and looks down at his menu but can't focus on it. _This is not quite the Kensi I'm used to_, he thought. _Did she get me to go out on a date with her without it actually being a date?_

"Buuuuuurp." A loud belch interrupted his thoughts. _No, definitely not a date._


	4. Reznikov, N

None of these characters are mine. I don't want that much responsibility anyway.

* * *

"So do you think this guy is really Callen's father?" Kensi asks of her partner. They are sitting in the bullpen, Deeks at his desk and Kensi at Sam's. It's a little unusual but easier to work like this for now.

Deeks maintains his concentration on his work but responds quietly. "I hope so."

"Really?" Kensi is torn on the subject. She just hopes the outcome of this case turns out to be whatever is in the best interest for her friend and coworker. "I mean, Callen has been looking for answers to his past for years. Wouldn't it be a slap in the face to know they've been right here in this city for all these years?"

He stops looking through his paperwork but doesn't look at his partner. "Closure."

"Closure?"

"Yes, closure."

"You know, you and Callen have a few things in common."

_She's not going to stop talking about this_, he thinks. Finally turning to face his partner, he questions her. "Like what?"

"You both had to grow up too fast," she responds seriously.

"A lot of people do. If I befriended everybody with a difficult childhood I'd be in the Guinness Book of World Records for most Facebook friends," Deeks tries to lighten the mood. Kensi isn't backing down though, staring at him grimly. He sighs. "Maybe neither of us really want to talk about it."

"Yeah, that's definitely a problem of yours."

"Really? Really. Hello pot, meet kettle." Deeks is starting to get aggravated. Work has completely been disregarded for now. "Because there are plenty of things WE," he gestures between the two of them, "just don't. talk. about." He breathes in deeply and tilts his head at his partner, daring her to respond.

Kensi breaks the eye contact and starts looking through her papers again. There are a lot of things he needs to talk about. There are a lot of things THEY need to talk about. "Well, I guess you two will talk about it when you're both ready."

Huffing in disgust, Deeks returns to his papers as well. Several minutes pass before he says quietly, "There's a big difference between me and Callen. I can close my eyes any time I want and see my mom's face on Christmas morning. Or I can picture my dad during the good times, when he wasn't drinking. Nobody can ever take that away from me, and I can see it whenever I want without seeing any of the bad things." He exhales a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. "All Callen has is a mosaic of different families he wasn't good enough for. He deserves to find something he can remember and smile about."

Kensi fights the urge to reach out to her partner and hug him. Instead she gently rubs the top of his hand that's closest to her. "You're right. Let's get back to work."


	5. Unwritten Rule

The characters and the show they're on don't belong to me. And that's okay with me.

I admit that I used this chapter as a way to resolve some of my issues with this season. Hopefully it does the same for you.

* * *

_Knock _"Kensi"

_Knock _"Kensi"

_Knock _"Kensi"

Kensi groans as she rises from her couch to answer the door. Her partner is standing on the other side of it with a greasy bag of food and a green smoothie in his hands. She opens the door with a glare. "Really?"

"What? There was a Big Bang Theory marathon on TBS last night." Deeks settles himself on her couch and places the bag of food on the coffee table. "I brought you tacos."

"Oh yum, I love tacos!" Kensi shouts, walking to the kitchen. "Can I get you a beer?"

"Uh no, I'm good. I got this smoothie here, it's got avocado and a bunch of other healthy stuff in it. Besides, I don't want you to get me drunk and take advantage of me." The last part is only partially a lie. Truthfully, Deeks hadn't had a drink since his oral surgery. He knows that drowning his problems in alcohol is the route his father would take. Exercise and meditation has been his drug of choice, even if it didn't always work.

"I would say that goes both ways, but I'm already halfway through this 6 pack of Dos Equis, so...no funny business," Kensi says as she settles into the couch with no regard to his personal space. "I would also say that I'm sorry about your bike, but I'm not. I AM sorry that you bought it and are going to have to trade it in and lose value on it though."

Deeks curls his lips into a frown. "Yeah, whatever."

Taken aback, Kensi scowls at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I guess I'm just curious about your sudden interest in my safety and well-being. Ya know, one minute you're ragging on me with the guys and the next you're acting all…" Deeks can't think of the right word for it. "I don't know, different."

Sobering some, Kensi places her hand on his arm. "I worry about you." He glances down at her hand but she doesn't remove it. "And things ARE different. I feel like we need to talk, but…"

"Right, poor communication," Deeks chuckles bitterly. "I meant it when I said you don't have to worry about me. I uh, I'm going to start talking to somebody. Later this week. But don't tell the guys, I just want everything to be normal. Even if it means I'm the joke du jour, okay? Just...back to normal."

Kensi scoots back on the couch, stunned speechless for a minute. Deeks being forthcoming and honest with his feelings tends to leave her this way.

"Okay?" he repeats.

"Um yeah, wow, I mean no, that's great. I can do that. Back to normal." Kensi offers a weak smile, but Deeks doesn't notice because he's pulling tacos out of the bag. "So when exactly are we resetting back to?"

Deeks takes a bite of taco and chews, delaying his answer to her question to ponder the appropriate response. If he wants to complicate matters further, he would say about 10 minutes before he was captured and tortured. An easier answer would be before the whole Monica debacle even happened. "I dunno, maybe like last year? It'll give you a chance to not forget my birthday."

Kensi punches him in the arm and tries not to show the disappointment she's feeling at the moment. "It was a horrible mistake. Let it go."

"Yeah, yeah I have." Deeks takes a sip of his smoothie, puckering his lips. Looking down at his half-eaten taco, he sighs. "We're going to talk about it. I promise."

She smiles and nods her head. "Okay."

"So what about a Jeep? Does Hetty have some crazy rule about those too? I mean, I could still feel the wind in my hair, we could fit our surfboards in it, Monty too. I could get him some Doggles and a 'Dog on Board' sticker…"

The pair both start laughing, the serious implications of their conversation forgotten. For now.


	6. Big Brother

I don't own anything or anybody related to this show. If I did, this episode would have never aired.

* * *

"Today is one of those days I'd like to just forget ever happened," Kensi grumbles, picking at the label on her beer.

"I can't believe you completely ditched your assignment like that," Deeks berates his partner. It has been a weird day for everyone: Deeks and his disappearing walking work station, Kensi losing all sense of professionalism, and Eric sweating all over the gym just to name a few examples. "I mean, that took '_BadAssBlye I do what I wants_' to another level."

Kensi rolls her eyes, but she knows he's right. "Look, I made a mistake and let my emotions take over. I won't let it happen again."

"You can't promise me that." Deeks looks pointedly at her and takes a sip of his virgin Cuba Libre. "We are human. Mistakes happen, we learn from them and move on. It just seemed odd, that's all. You're obviously hiding something."

"Are we not allowed to keep our demons inside anymore?"

Now it's Deeks' turn to roll his eyes. "You mean the fact that you were living on the street for a year as a teenager?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm a detective, I detect things. So when are you going to tell everybody else about that so they know you're uber sensitive about teenagers?"

Kensi balks at him. "When are you going to tell everybody that your '_Aunt Barbara_' is actually my mother? Whose name isn't even Barbara, dork."

"Touché. And this would be an appropriate use of that term by the way. Because you just stabbed me." Deeks slurps the last of his drink and signals to the bartender for two more.

"You're being awfully snarky tonight," Kensi remarks and nods a thank you to the bartender for her new beer.

"I could say the same about you Princess." Deeks peers over her shoulder to look at the couple walking into the bar, but it's not who they're waiting on. "Why do you think that is?"

She shrugs her shoulders and starts peeling at the label of her new beer. "I think it just happens sometimes between men and women. Perfectly normal." She can feel Deeks' eyes boring a hole in her so she gives in and meets his eyes with hers.

"Is that right?" he asks, licking his lips and refusing to break eye contact. He opens his mouth to make another remark but is distracted by someone clearing their throat.

"Ahem, are we interrupting something?"

Deeks smiles and narrows his eyes at Kensi. "No Nell, you're not interrupting anything important. Kensi and I were just discussing facial hair."

"Pain in the ass," Eric replies.

"I'm all for it," Nell replies immediately afterward. Eric looks at her with his eyebrows raised but she just ignores him.

"I was just telling Kensi here that I was thinking about shaving off my beard. You know, go for a new look, something different."

Kensi returns his smile. "Don't."


	7. The Livelong Day

This was actually the first drabble I wrote for this series. Just now posting on here because I wanted to keep them in order.

As usual, I own nothing.

* * *

"Come on goat-boy," Kensi says as she slings her bag over her shoulder. "I could really go for some pizza."

Deeks sighs from the floor before standing up and brushing off his pants. "I finally fix all the damage to this train set and you're ready to go?" Kensi's response was a smile and shrug. "Fine, fine, don't want to starve a hungry lioness," Deeks mutters. "You realize this train will probably magically disappear overnight though and I'll never get to see it again, right?"

Kensi smiles (almost sadly) and grabs Deeks' bag for him. "You're being paranoid, little billy."

_Probably not just being paranoid_, Deeks thought to himself. _Hetty has managed to abscond with everything of his lately. Who knows what will be next. _"More goat jokes, really Kens? What do you have against Capricorns?" Deeks calls out as he hurriedly tries to catch up to his partner, who was already almost outside the Mission.

"I have nothing against Capricorns, actually in my experience they're really good at…" Kensi catches herself mid-thought. "Um, you know, good at being partners or whatever." She unlocks her car and tries to climb in quickly but Deeks is too fast for her. He blocks her from opening the door with his left hand and places his right hand on the other side of her, preventing her from escaping.

"That's not what you were going to say. Spill it."

"It's nothing."

"Oh it's something. And I bet it's juicy. Maybe I should go find your journal and skip to the chapters with the adult content…" Deeks says as he steps closer to her and tilts his head.

Clearing her throat and rolling her neck, Kensi avoids the eye contact he's obviously trying to make with her. "Well you read it already, didn't you?"

Deeks lets a sheepish grin spread across his face. "I just skimmed it. But now you've piqued my interest, and I know where you keep it, so I think I'm just going to skip pizza and go do some light reading of _Fifty Shades of Kensi_…"

Pursing her lips together and squeezing her eyes shut, Kensi groans. "Sex, okay?" She finally opens her eyes and meets his gaze.

His face shows his surprise that she actually said it, but his eyes still have a naughty glint to them. "In my experience, Capricorns are very," Kensi pauses to choose her words carefully. "Generous."

Deeks backs away from her and opens her car door, ushering her in with a grand hand gesture. "Oh, in more ways than one darling." As he enters the passenger side of the car, Deeks comments one more time before dropping the subject. "Good to know you're familiar with our work."

Kensi starts the car and heads toward their favorite pizza spot. She can't help but wonder and hope that she can become even more familiar with their work some day.


	8. Fallout

I don't own any characters or tv shows. I only own my imagination.

* * *

"Sir? Sir! I think I smell a gas leak in your apartment!"

Deeks opens his apartment door with an unamused look on his face. "Really?"

Kensi grins widely and pushes her way into his apartment. "Oh come on, gas leak, get it?"

"Oh I get it. We were undercover today, and you're trying to say that I fart a lot. " She responds by sticking out her tongue and making a fart sound. "You're a classy chick, you know that?"

"Well this classy chick just bought you dinner, so be nice. I even got a burger for Monty." As if on cue the mutt trots out of Deeks' bedroom and nudges Kensi's hand with his snout. "Hey buddy. Want a turkey burger?" "_Woof!" _"Who's a good boy?" "_Woof!" _

Deeks can't help but smile at the pair as he pulls his burger out and sits on the couch. "He really likes you Kens. You should come over more often."

"Deeks. We already eat dinner together at least three times a week. How much more time could I spend here?" She unwraps Monty's burger and starts feeding him bites of it. "Plus it's not like you don't show up on my doorstep whenever you feel like it. You can bring Monty over if you want to, ya know."

"I would, but he doesn't like litter boxes. He's a very clean animal, does his business outside." Deeks smirks as he takes a bite of his turkey burger. A sweet potato fry comes flying at his head and gets stuck in his hair. Unfazed, he pulls it out and eats it.

"Whatever, you must like my germs then since you come over there all the time."

"Well maybe I do like your germs."

Kensi pauses mid-chew and shakes her head briefly, trying to not read too much into his statement. _This is just Deeks being Deeks_, she thinks. _But maybe I can push him._ "Hey Deeks, do you want to play a game?"

"You sure you wanna do that? I've already whooped you at Trivial Pursuit, Jenga, and basketball. Unless it's strip poker or twister, I might let you win at those…"

Kensi rolls her eyes and sighs at him. "Seriously." She grabs another fry and feeds it to Monty. "Let's play the truth game. It's kinda like Truth or Dare without the dare part. The 'adult truth or dare' if you will."

Deeks feels the blood rush out of his face but swallows down his fear. "Oooookay. Uh, you go first I guess."

"How old were you, your first time?" Kensi figures she'll start with an easy question.

He visibly exhales and laughs lightly. "That's easy. 16. After a Touching Wood concert. Let's just say she really wanted to…"

Kensi holds her hand up to stop him from going any further. "Okay I get it. Your turn."

Deeks scrunches up his face like he's trying to think up a good question. "Okay, when was the _last_ time you had sex?"

**_Cough, cough_**. "Whoa, hold on, let me finish this bite." Kensi chews slowly and has to think hard about the answer to his question. "Uh, it was about 10 or 11 months ago."

"Wow, so you don't feel the need to use birth control huh?"

"I'm sorry, what?! And that's two questions, you have to wait your turn."

"Ok, you just answered my question…"

Kensi shakes her head at him. "Ok, for one thing, no more double questions. And the second thing, yes I do use birth control. It keeps everything regular, ya know?"

"TMI."

"You asked!" Kensi shouts, exasperated. "Sheesh. My turn, and I get two questions." She pauses, knowing he's not going to like her next question. Breathing in deeply, she just asks it. "How is your therapy going?"

Deeks acts unbothered, nibbling on his bottom lip. "Fine."

"You know damn well that word is not an acceptable answer."

"It's…good. I'm working through a lot of things. I'm sleeping better. Almost never have to take anything to help me sleep."

"I've noticed that aren't drinking anymore."

"Is that your second question?" Deeks asks tersely.

"No. More of a statement than a question."

"Ok then, I will say that I'm not drinking and I'm not NOT drinking, k?"

Kensi smiles sadly at him. "Okay. Second question. How are _we_ doing? As partners." She turns so she can face him on the couch, curling one leg underneath her and stretching the other out towards him.

He knows she's not trying to pry rudely. She honestly seems concerned about him. Mimicking her move on the couch, he turns to face her too. "We're great Kens. I meant it when I said that if you go, I go. I can't think of anybody I'd rather have by my side every day."

Kensi nudges him with her foot and smiles. "Hey, remember when we went undercover in that fancy neighborhood with the Russians? We were an awesome team even back then."

Deeks chuckles. "I remember a sex dungeon and you conveniently finding an excuse to kiss me. And maybe a bra holster?"

"You're a pig. And it was an undercover kiss."

"Whatever you say."

Kensi holds her tongue. She desperately wants to call him out on the completely non-undercover kiss he gave her earlier in the year. Instead she stares at him seriously, hoping she can convey that emotion wordlessly.

He nervously scratches at his face, unable to find the words he wants to say. He clears his throat loudly. "Hey Kens, is it my turn?"

"Yeah."

"What's in the box?"

Kensi throws her head back and laughs. "Oh no way." She pulls her hair back off of her shoulders, twisting it into a pretend bun. "You're going to have to open it yourself to find that out."

He nods in understanding to her. "Maybe soon."


	9. Recovery

This chapter may push the limits of the T rating, but not much. I may or may not have been a little tipsy when I wrote this (Happy New Year!) so I apologize for any inconsistencies. And I still don't own anything.

* * *

"Is everything alright sir?" Asks the young blond woman at the hostess stand.

"Yeah, yeah, um," Deeks squints to read her name-tag, "Abby, everything is fine. Something just came up, we have to leave, sorry."

"Please come back to see us soon!" Abby the hostess waves as Deeks rushes out the door, trying to catch up to his partner. He sees Kensi walking towards her car. She turns around to see if he's following and smiles when she sees him jogging to catch up to her.

Deeks is replaying their brief conversation in his head as he hurries. "_I want to be at my place, right now, with you." What were you thinking?! What does that even mean? What does she think it means? Could you BE more vague? Be cool dude, be cool. _But he is anything but cool when he reaches her car finally and comes face to face with her.

"So…" he pauses, and she raises an eyebrow at him. "Okay, so just to clarify, when I said what I said, and you got up, and now you're here and you don't look mad, does that mean," but his ramblings are interrupted by Kensi placing a finger on his lips.

"Shhhh," Kensi says as she leans up to him and gently kisses him. She almost misses, catching just his bottom lip between hers. She feels his hand reach up to cradle her neck, and he tilts her head up to catch both of her lips on his. A surge of electricity shoots through them as her teeth scratch his bottom lip and he moans, deepening the kiss and pushing her back against her Cadillac.

Her car alarm startles them and they separate quickly. Kensi pulls out her keys and turns the alarm off, laughing nervously. "I guess this thing is sensitive, huh?"

"Yeah," Deeks says, running his hands through his hair. "So what now?"

"I thought you wanted to go back to your place?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do, but that wasn't me saying that I expected anything right NOW, necessarily." Deeks stops himself from rambling again. "Why don't we get in the car, and we'll figure it out?"

"Sounds like a plan," Kensi replies, already climbing into the drivers seat. Deeks exhales a huge sigh of relief and gets in beside her. "I guess we can use this time to talk. About us."

Deeks gives her a crooked grin. "Since when do YOU want to talk about us?"

"Ever since you asked me to go home with you, Deeks," Kensi replies, glancing at him briefly.

"Right," Deeks says slowly. "Well then I'm just going to talk, and you're going to listen. Because it seems like you and me, we do a lot of talking without really saying anything." Kensi nods and half smiles. "For starters, you drive me crazy." Deeks holds his hand up to stop her from interrupting. "No, let me talk. You always have to win, you always have to drive, you laugh like a deranged woman, and you always have to be right. But you know what _really_ drives me crazy? The fact that you are so damn perfect and so damn beautiful the whole time you're driving me crazy."

Kensi blinks, looking stunned but still focusing on the road. "You kissed me, during the Sidorov mission. Why?"

Deeks shrugs. "I dunno. You were acting so weird after the case with Monica, and I couldn't read you. You kept pushing and pushing and I didn't know what to do. I felt like in that moment, it was the only thing I _could_ do." He looks down at his hands awkwardly, like he should be doing something with them but doesn't know what. "Was that not what you wanted from me?"

"I just wanted you to tell me something, anything real!" Kensi shouts, and Deeks notices she's starting to drive really fast. "Why is that so hard? Do you know how many guys have kissed me? A LOT. But I can count on one hand the number of men that have told me I _really_ mean something to them!"

"Kens, slow down."

"No, you got to vent, now it's my turn!"

"The car Kens." Deeks reaches and gently rubs her knee. "My place is just up here on the right."

Kensi shakes her head, still a little flustered. "Right, sorry." She pulls into the closest parking spot to his door and puts the car in park. "Maybe I'm just being dumb…" She climbs out of the car and starts walking to Deeks' door.

Deeks keeps pace with her this time, pulling his keys out as he walks. "You're not being dumb." He unlocks the door and flips the lights on to see Monty sleeping on his dog bed. There's a note from his dog-walker on the coffee table describing Monty's day in amazing detail. The dog lifts his head sleepily but lays it down again quickly, stretching out his legs to get comfortable.

Kensi crosses the threshold of the door slowly, worried that whatever they say or do tonight is something they can never come back from. "Maybe this was a mistake, Deeks," she says, looking defeated as she closes the door and turns to face her partner. "I don't know if this is going to work."

Deeks closes his eyes and shakes his head. "You always say you want me to say what I really mean, right?" Kensi nods her head and shrugs her shoulders. Deeks reaches for her hands and pulls them up to his chest, looking her straight in the eye. "Kensi, you don't mean just something to me. You mean _everything_ to me."

She smiles and Deeks sees her eyes glistening, but she holds her emotions inside as usual. "Ditto."

"Really? I spill my guts and all I get back is a ditto?"

"Shut up Deeks," Kensi says and pulls him close to her by tugging on his shirt. He smiles and leans in to kiss her again. "You're a really good kisser," she says in between kisses. "And you smell really good. Like the ocean."

Deeks murmurs "Hmm hmm" and trails kisses down her chin and to her neck.

"And I know I make fun of it, but I really like your hair," she says, running her hands through it. She whimpers quietly as his hands move down her back and settle gently on her ass. "You're really hot actually."

"Uh huh," Deeks replies, kissing down her collarbone. "You always talk this much when you're making out with somebody?" He moves his hands under her shirt and rubs the skin above her navel with his thumb. "Or are you worried you won't be able to keep up with me?"

Kensi closes her eyes and moans as he presses his body flush against her. "Oh I can keep up with you, anytime, anywhere." She grabs his hair and tugs his head away from her. "I want you," she says awkwardly.

Deeks chuckles and grabs her ass again. "No dirty talk from you. Or laughing either for that matter." He lifts her up and she follows his cue, curling her legs around his waist. "I cannot wait to taste every inch of your body," he whispered as he walks them to his bedroom, face buried in the crook of her neck.

"Deeks…" Kensi's face visibly flushes, and Deeks thinks that she has never looked more beautiful than this moment right here, with messy hair and obvious desire in her eyes.

"I told you that you couldn't keep up with me," he replies. "I'm just getting started."

Kensi kisses him to shut him up again. "I'll let you win the dirty talk contest I guess."

Deeks cradles her back as he lays her down on her bed, keeping their positions but making their bodies vertical. "Really, are we going to turn _this_ into a contest?"

"Maybe. But I have a feeling we're both going to win."


	10. The Frozen Lake

This is actually 2 conversations. The first is normal, the second is text message.

I own nothing related to this show or anything entertaining at all.

* * *

**_Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep_**

"Uggghhh, what is that?!"

"It's an alarm clock, genius."

"You still have a real alarm clock? What is the deal? And turn it off!" Kensi pulls the pillow from underneath her head and covers her face with it, groaning loudly.

Deeks bangs his hand around on his nightstand until it connects with his alarm clock and the beeping stops. He props himself up on one elbow so he can face his partner, whose bed covers are twisted up just enough to give him a peak of her body. "Wow, niiiiice. And I remember you being much more of a morning person than this."

_Smack._ Kensi smacks him in the face with her pillow, sending him backwards on the bed in a fit of laughter. She pulls the covers up tight to her chin and glares at him.

"Really, you're covering up _now_?" Deeks grins devilishly at her. "You do realize that all I have to do is close my eyes and," Deeks squeezes his eyes closed. "Yup, oh yeah, there you are."

Kensi shoots him an evil look that, even though she tries, doesn't quite reach her eyes. "You're a funny guy, you know that?" She pushes her hair back behind her ears and blinks her eyes, still trying to wake up. "What time is it anyway?"

Feeling around on the floor for something to temporarily put on, Deeks mumbles, "8:45." He finds his boxers and slips them on as he gets out of bed. "I need coffee."

"8:45?! Are you kidding me?! We have to be at work in 45 minutes!" Kensi jumps out of bed, dragging all of the covers with her. "Oh my God, how did I sleep in this late? I don't have any clothes here…why is your alarm set so late?"

"I'm a _guy_. I take a 5 minute shower, shake my hair, and walk out the door." Deeks walks into the bathroom and turns the shower on. "I have extra toothbrushes. You can wear one of my shirts if you want."

"Yeah, like that won't be obvious. Oh God, Callen and Sam. Oh God, HETTY."

Deeks strips down and gets in the shower, poking his head out of the shower curtain. "Hey, you wanna join me?" He wiggles his eyebrows up and down, but Kensi isn't amused and shakes her head while pacing the floor. "Yeah you're right, we'd probably be even later if you did that."

"We did _not_ think this all the way through…" Kensi mutters, sitting down on the bed and dropping her head in her hands. The action causes her sheet to fall down, reminding her again of her current predicament. She allows it to drop all the way as she gets up to gather her clothes. She gets dressed in front of his mirror and attempts to smooth down the collar of her shirt, but it isn't cooperating. "These clothes just look dirty," she mutters to herself. "I can't believe I'm making the walk of shame in to work. Again."

"I prefer to call it the stride of pride," Deeks says, walking up behind her. "And you look fine. Your breath, however…"

Kensi shakes her head and smiles at him, following him into his bathroom. "Shut up." She accepts a toothbrush from him and applies some of his toothpaste, placing it back on the counter when she's done. Deeks picks up the toothpaste and applies it to his toothbrush before walking out of the bathroom. "Where are you going?"

Deeks shrugs. "I just like to walk around when I brush my teeth." Kensi still can't help but notice that he brushes his teeth very slowly and gingerly. She turns back around to face the sink, giving him the privacy he wants. He's carrying her purse with him when he comes back. "You know, everything's going to be fine Kens."

Kensi snorts. "Yeah okay."

"I mean it. We'll stop on the way and get quadruple shot nonfat soy lattes. We'll walk in separate doors when we get there. It'll probably be a slow day so you can sneak away and get a shower in the gym and put on your spare clothes." He tilts his head down at her and smiles. "I know we have a lot to talk about, but we'll worry about that later. Let's just go to work and act like everything is normal."

"And we won't let it affect work?"

Deeks shakes his head furiously. "No way."

"And it won't be awkward?"

Deeks scoffs at her. "Why would it be awkward?"

* * *

**Deeks:**

What is going on?

**Kensi:**

I don't really know

It's classified

**Deeks:**

Are we going to be able to talk?

**Kensi:**

Service to my phone will be cut off soon

Hey Deeks?

**Deeks:**

Yeah

**Kensi:**

I really showed my ass today

**Deeks:**

You kinda did

**Kensi:**

I'm so sorry

**Deeks:**

What for

**Kensi:**

Everything today

**Deeks:**

Just promise me you'll be safe

**Kensi:**

I'll do my best

**Deeks:**

And that you'll come home

**Kensi:**

Okay

**Deeks:**

I'll be here waiting

Patiently


	11. Iron Curtain Rising

This isn't very detailed, but I hope I did this chapter justice since I don't think the show really has thus far concerning his PTSD.

I don't own anything with this show. If I did I would be rich.

* * *

Deeks is sitting in a parking lot in Kensi's Cadillac after work, staring at the rather modest building in front of him. He remembers being in this position several weeks ago, anxiety almost keeping him from leaving his car. Circumstances are different now, and he considers this location to be a friendly and safe place. But life as usual is constantly changing, and he is once again feeling anxious about the next hour of his life.

Placing his hand on his belly he breathes in deeply through his nose and exhales slowly 6 times. "Let's do this," he said to himself as he climbs out of the car and walks into the building.

"Good evening Nancy," Deeks addresses the sweet-faced, pleasantly plump woman sitting at the front desk.

"Marty, so good to see you today," Nancy says brightly. She says this every week. "Dr. Warner is waiting for you."

Deeks nods and smiles to her, walking through the solid wood door separating her from Dr. Warner's office. "Eh, what's up doc?"

Dr. Warner looks up from his tablet, unsurprised by Deeks' joke. "No carrot this week, I see." The doctor looks to be in his mid-40s, in pretty good physical shape, with a brown beard and a short generic haircut. His face is friendly and his green eyes have a sparkle in them that tells Deeks if they were meeting under different circumstances, the doctor would be able to match him joke for joke.

"Sorry, no props today," Deeks retorts as he settles in.

"So how was your week, Marty?"

Deeks scrunches his face. "Hmmm. I think I might have to say it's been one of the best and one of the worst weeks of my life." Dr. Warner blinks at him and tilts his head. "Oh, maybe I should explain. So Kensi, my partner, and I took a definitive step forward in our relationship. That's the good part."

"And the worst part?"

"She was reassigned. I have no idea where, why, or if she's even alive," Deeks whispers. "And I have been doing great up until now. I have been doing everything we've talked about, but this is…different."

"How so?"

Furrowing his brows and pursing his lips he confesses, "I can't stop thinking about the roles being reversed."

"You mean your partner being tortured?"

Deeks winces. "Yes, but more than that. Me finding her tortured. Or dead. Or me having to choose between her and the mission. She made the right choice and followed orders. I don't know if I could do the same."

Dr. Warner nods sympathetically. "You had a horrible experience, and understandably you don't want your partner to go through the same experience. But Kensi wasn't tortured, you were."

"But I don't know that she won't be."

"You don't know that she _will be_," Dr. Warner counters gently. "Do you think that this is going to affect your ability to do your job?"

Shaking his head, he replies, "No. You were right about facing my fears head on. With every case I think I'm getting better and better. I even made this insane left-handed shot last week." Deeks beams with pride, but then remembers the conversation with Kensi outside the ambulance and his face falls.

"Marty?"

Deeks snaps out of his daze. "Yeah doc?"

"Are you ready to talk about the torture?"

Deeks nods. This is always a part of their sessions, repeating the details of that day and what he remembers seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling._ The more you face it the easier it gets; the more you avoid it, the worse it gets. _

"I was assigned to overwatch. Sam and Michelle were at the house we were watching, with Sidorov…"


	12. Merry Evasion

I don't own anything on this show. Especially not a satellite phone.

* * *

"I hear good things about the discotheque in Hindu Kush."

Kensi laughs heartily. Hearing her partner's voice, even with his silly jokes, makes her feel better than she has in weeks. However, the accuracy of his guess about her location surprises her. She would rather Deek's have no idea where she is than him know and worry even more about her than she's sure he already is. She knows him though, and she knows he won't relent until he finds out about her mission.

"So what's the weather like where you are? It was actually cool enough for long sleeves here today in sunny Californ-I-A," Deeks asks nonchalantly.

"Really? We only have a few minutes to talk after weeks of nothing, and you ask about the weather?" Kensi jokes.

Deeks swears he can hear her shake her head and roll her eyes at him through the phone. He responds seriously to her, "It's a legitimate question."

Kensi gets it. _Always trying to be a detective_, she thinks. _I'll play along_. "I really can't stay…" she sings to him.

Deeks grins, satisfied that she understands him so well, and sings back, "But baby it's cold outside."

"I've got to go away…"

"But baby it's cold outside."

"This evening has been…"

"Been hoping that you'd drop in," Deeks croons sadly.

"So very nice…"

"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."

Kensi won't admit it, but she finds his singing sexy. She's not too proud to compliment him though. "So you do actually have a great voice."

"I wish I could say the same for you darling, but…" Deeks starts and makes a scared face even though nobody can see him. "Well at least you're a great dancer. Put us together and we're perfect."

"Perfect huh?"

"Yeah," Deeks says smoothly. "You disagree?"

"Nope," Kensi answers. "So uh, how is work?"

Deeks shrugs. "Work is work. You're missing the Christmas party. Nell made the eggnog. I told her it smells like a hobo but it's pretty good. Knocked me on my ass pretty fast. I guess I've lost my tolerance."

Kensi furrows her brows. "Are you drunk?"

"No," Deeks scoffs at her. "I had ONE. No big deal." He hoped it wasn't a big deal anyway. His doctor had advised against any depressants during his PTSD treatment. _But it's Christmas_, he thought. _What could one day hurt?_

"Okay," Kensi responds gently. "You know, this is nice."

He smiles sadly. "It really has been. Is this just a Christmas miracle, or do I get to keep this phone?"

"Keep the phone. I can't make any guarantees, but I'll try to call you when I can."

"What if I need to call you?"

"Don't," Kensi says firmly. "It's safer this way." Kensi drops her head into her free hand, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I should probably get off the phone now..."

Deeks sighs. "Okay. Remember what I said. Be safe and come home to me."

Kensi smiles, blushing slightly. "Well I'm not coming home to anybody else."

"I'll hold you to that. Bye Kens. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Deeks."

Deeks holds the phone in his hand, gripping it firmly. He knows he can't carry it on him and will have to find a good place to store it. For now he returns it to his green gift box and places it in his desk drawer. He pulls out a red pen and a folded world map from the drawer and smiles. He unfolds the maps and starts drawing a red "X" on places with current warm temperatures.

"Please come home soon Kens," he says aloud to himself. "But if anything happens, I will travel to the ends of the earth to find you."


	13. Happy Birthday Deeks

Thanks to everyone has read and reviewed! Since there isn't an episode this week for Deeks' birthday, I thought we needed a "bonus" drabble. Note: Afghanistan is 12 hours ahead of California.

I don't own anything associated with this show. Duh.

* * *

"Hold on buddy, I'm coming," Deeks grunts as he stumbles into his apartment, arms full of groceries, dog food, and dog treats. "I know, I let you run out of food, I'm a bad doggy daddy." Monty greets him with bark and a tail wag. Deeks grins and rubs his dog on the head, making his way into the kitchen to pour the dog food and put away the groceries.

He settles in to his couch with a bowl of granola for dinner and flips on the television. Looking down at his watch he thinks, _7:00 on a Tuesday night. __There's got to be some cheesy cop drama on that I can watch_. As he's flipping through the channels, he hears a ringing from his work bag. He jumps up from his couch so quickly that he spills his cereal all over the coffee table and grabs his bag, rifling through it for his satellite phone.

"Hi, hello? You still there?" Deeks answers frantically, realizing it had taken him a while to answer the phone.

Kensi chuckles on the other line. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, no, I was just uh," Deeks pauses to look down at Monty eating all of his cereal off the coffee table and floor. "Um, apparently feeding Monty. Again. What's up? How are you, is everything okay?"

"Sure, everything is…fine," Kensi responds. She's sitting outside of their base camp drinking her morning coffee. Today she and Granger are heading out to scope the area out for possible leads on the White Ghost, and whoever his mole within their unit could be. She's nervous and excited at the same time. "I uh, just wanted to call and wish you happy birthday."

Deeks smiles sadly, plopping back down on his couch. "It's not my birthday. My birthday is tomorrow."

"I know when your birthday is, Deeks…" Kensi starts, but Deeks interrupts her.

"Really? Cause I'm pretty sure last year…"

"Deeks," Kensi says seriously. "It's your birthday where I am."

He sits up, alarmed. "I don't think you were supposed to tell me that."

Kensi sighs. "I know, and that's all I'm going to say. I just really didn't want to miss your birthday." She bites her lips nervously. "Do you have big plans for tomorrow?"

"Supposedly our little Nelly is planning something for me. With her it could be anything. That's one sneaky wild chick, did you know that?"

Kensi snorts. "Nell and I are friends, duh. I could tell you stories that would blow your mind."

"Wow. I have got _all night_ free…" Deeks jokes.

"Well, unfortunately I don't."

"Oh come on, you gotta give me something…it's my birthday."

Kensi rolls her eyes. "You said yourself that your birthday isn't until tomorrow."

"Pleeeeeease?" Deeks begs.

Kensi laughs at him. "It's really hard to tell you no, you know that?"

"I will _definitely_ remember that for the future…"

"Wow, you are in a really good mood tonight," Kensi teases him. She's happy that he seems to be doing well.

Deeks rubs at the scruff on his face and stretches his jaw. "Well, uh, what can I say? You have that effect on me."

Kensi looks up from her empty coffee cup to see Granger staring at her. He nods his head in the direction of their Jeep. Kensi sighs in frustration and rubs her eyes. "Deeks, I'm so sorry, but I…"

"Have to go," Deeks finishes her sentence. "It's okay."

"Deeks, I…" Kensi pauses. "I hope you get everything you wish for when you blow your candles out."

"I think we both know that's not going to happen."

"I know." Kensi sees Granger glaring at her. "Just...happy birthday Deeks."

Deeks closes his eyes, feeling his chest tighten. "Thanks. Be safe."

"I will. Oh, and Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"If Nell mentions anything about jello wrestling, run. _Fast_."


	14. Allegiance

I still own nothing on this show. I put a bid out on it but it was rejected. Apparently these characters are worth more than 5 bucks.

Most of this drabble was inspired by various Tumblr posts last night.

* * *

"So…it looks like you guys did a great job on our joint case." Kensi sips her steaming cup of morning coffee, enjoying the relative quiet of the desert morning. This has become somewhat of a routine now; Kensi calling Deeks once a week, always a morning for her and evening for him. They changed the days every week to avoid creating an obvious pattern, and Kensi never told Deeks the day that she would choose to call.

Deeks smiles and tugs at the hem of his shirt. "Well, ya know, the three bro-migos were on the job. That's a guarantee for success."

Kensi laughs at him, shaking her head. "Oh is that right? You guys are 'bros' now?"

"Oh yeah. I think Sam might even let me ride in the front seat of the Challenger soon."

"Yeah right."

"I'm serious! It's almost like…" Deeks pauses. "I dunno, like I belong there."

Kensi purses her lips. "But you _do_ belong there, Deeks."

"Hasn't always felt like it," he admits, sounding only a little bitter. "This may sound weird, but I think not having you here…maybe it's allowing me to show how good I am at my job."

"Oh," Kensi responds, trying not to sound hurt. "That's, uh, that's really great Deeks. I guess."

"But you know I would trade all that for you to be here," Deeks says quickly. "It's not the same without you."

"Good to know I haven't been forgotten," Kensi teases.

Deeks whistles lowly. "_So_ not forgotten. I just wish that I could've just talked to you during this case," he sighs. "I found out that everybody got to see you but me. No, really, _everybody_. All I got was Granger. Which is like, the exact opposite of you."

"Yeah I know," she says sadly. "I thought I'd get to see you too. But I really enjoyed the selfie. You have always looked nice in a suit."

"Yeah, I knew you were always checking me out. You likey what you see huh?"

"Can you not just take a compliment?" Kensi asks.

"Nope, I wanna hear it. You've always thought I was hot."

"Deeks…" Kensi warns.

"I bet you have hundreds of pictures of my ass on your phone and you look at them every night and think about what it felt like to…"

"Deeks!" Kensi interrupts, smiling. "Okay, I might have a few."

Deeks grins like a Cheshire cat. "Say it."

"You're hot," Kensi says nonchalantly.

"No, when did you realize you thought I was hot?"

"I dunno…" Kensi answers. "Maybe after the Queen Mary."

"The Queen, are you, did you, what? That was over three years ago!"

"So? Just because I found you attractive doesn't mean that I actually _liked_ you."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that darling," Deeks replies smugly. "So on the subject of attractive people and selfies…I would definitely like more of those from you."

"I think I can manage…"

"But _maybe_," Deeks cuts her off. "Maybe with a few less uh, layers."

All Deeks hears is silence for at least a minute before she replies. "Are you serious?"

"You said it's a secure line when you connect your phone to the satellite phone. I'm not saying HBO quality pictures, I would settle for like, FX rated ones."

Kensi looks around her, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious of their conversation. "Alright I'll think about it. But I have a request in return."

"Anything."

Kensi twirls a string of hair that has come loose from her ponytail and shifts her eyes towards the two agents close to her. "Maybe take a picture next time you go running or work out. Like, of your biceps or something."

"Reeeeeeaaaaalllllly," Deeks drags on. "You've got a deal."

Kensi sees Granger and Sabatino exit the trailer. "Listen Deeks, sorry, but I have to go. Next week?"

Deeks grumbles quietly and kicks his coffee table. "Yeah, next week. Be safe?"

"Always."

Deeks sets his satellite phone down and picks up his work phone, looking at the most recent picture of Kensi. She looks tired, but just as beautiful as ever. His phone vibrates while he's still holding it. Realizing it's a text from Kensi, he quickly opens the new text message. He laughs and shakes his head: Kensi had taken a new selfie and was winking at him in it.

"Wow, Kens. A selfie without your jacket on was not what I meant about fewer layers…"


	15. War Cries

I still don't own anything on this show. The fact that I don't and still devote so much of my time to is it just a little bit sad.

* * *

"Finally," Deeks mutters, picking up the ringing satellite phone that has been staring him in the face since he'd come home from work. After Assistant Director Granger had appeared suddenly, and subsequently disappeared just as suddenly, Deeks had been even more anxious than usual about talking to Kensi. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. You answered rather quickly. You weren't staring at the phone again, were you?" Kensi teases, sipping her warm morning coffee at her outdoor bench.

"No."

"Liar."

Deeks pauses momentarily. "I, uh, I've been worried. And don't roll your eyes, I can see you doing it all the way over in Afghanistan."

"I didn't roll my eyes."

"Liar."

Kensi chuckles. "Don't worry about me, Deeks. I think I'm doing pretty well over here."

"Yeah, that's what Granger said," Deeks says bitterly. "And I'm sorry, but I'm going to worry when Assistant Director Grinch, who is supposed to have your back over there, magically shows up back here. Without you."

"Deeks," she says gently. "Are you doing okay?"

_No_, he thinks. "I'm fine. Maybe it's just these new clothes Nell made me buy. I feel really restricted right now."

"I, um, what?"

"Nell. She made me go shopping with her after I split my pants at work one day last week. She went way overboard, but I went along with it. But all the jeans I bought, they're really…fitted."

Kensi stifles a laugh. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you split your pants at work. So, are you wearing hipster jeans?"

"_No_," he responds pointedly. "They're just snug. You know, cause I need the extra room."

"Whatever Deeks."

"Don't act like you don't know," he teases. "You're thinking about it right now, aren't you?" Kensi doesn't respond. "You are!"

"Shut up Deeks."

"So what are _you_ wearing?"

"Nothing," she says coyly.

"Okay, maybe I shouldn't have asked. If you start talking dirty to me these jeans are going to become pretty painful."

Kensi groans, shaking her head. "So," she says, changing the subject. "Nell took you shopping? First the Shaggy and Velma jokes, then the birthday party, now this. You two are becoming pretty close."

Deeks stretches out on his couch, dropping his free hand to the floor to rub Monty's head. "I'm not the only one that misses you, you know. Misery loves company, I guess."

"Oh. I guess I never thought about that."

"Yeah well. I mean, I'm not saying I'm miserable or anything. I have things to do. Non-Kensi things," he says, backtracking.

"Okay."

"Kensi?"

"What?"

Deeks sighs loud enough for her to hear. "What are you _really_ doing over there?" he asks, worry in his voice. "It's been like, two and half months now. Granger can come and go as he pleases, but you're not even supposed to talk to anybody? He actually asked me if I was in communication with you."

Kensi furrows her brows, looking around to see if anybody is in earshot. "What did you say?"

"I said not really. And that we weren't just partners."

"You said what?!"

"No, no, I said that you're my friend. And that I look out for you." He ruffled his hair nervously. "Kens, I can't shake this feeling that something's just not right."

Sighing, Kensi drops her head on the table. "I wish I could tell you what's going on, I just…can't. And I wish I could say that everything is going to be fine and I'll be back in LA soon, but I don't know that. I just don't know."

"Yeah," he says, trying not to sound bitter. "That's okay, I'm getting kinda used to being in the dark about everything now. You'll come back when you come back."

"Deeks…"

"I'm good, Kensi."

"Okay," she says, standing up and stretching her legs. "It's that time again."

"I know," he responds sadly. "Remember. Be safe. Come home."

"I will. Bye Deeks." Kensi hangs up her phone and shoves it into the lower pocket of her pants, walking back to her base camp trailer. When she enters, Granger and Officer Sabatino are standing in the kitchen. Sabatino offers her an overly friendly smile, which she ignores.

Granger gives her his usual surly stare. "Personal phone call?"

She smiles at him, walking towards her computer. "Not really."


	16. Tuhon

Staring at a group of friends playing darts, Deeks fidgets with the beer bottle he had been nursing for the last thirty minutes. He had agreed to go out for drinks with Nate, mostly because he considered him to be a friend before he thought of him as an operational psychologist. He's having a good time, but can't help but feel like Nate wants to pry further into his psyche. He contemplated just spilling his guts, but that's what he uses his actual therapist for. So instead he plays it cool for a while, nursing his beer until he gets tired of listening to Nate talk about…everything. Everything but work, anyway.

"So have you taken a vacation this year?" Nate asks.

Deeks shakes his head. "Nope. Been a little busy. Have you called Rose lately?"

Nate scowls at him. "No. Uh, should I?"

"I'm just asking questions cause you're asking questions, Nate."

"I see," Nate says, smiling as he sips his beer.

Deeks rolls his eyes. "Go ahead, man. There are questions you want to ask, and it's not about vacations or surfing or whether or not I think Monty needs a new puppy sister. Which, by the way, he doesn't." Finally seeing the dartboard area clear out, he stands up to walk over and claim their spot. He picks up a dart and points to Nate, then points to the dartboard.

Sighing, Nate follows him and takes the dart. "Okay. You know this is just me talking right now, not Hetty or anybody else, right?"

"If you say so, I do. Man to man, not shrink to man. Talk to me."

Nate throws a dart and it bounces off the board, hitting the floor. "How are you sleeping?"

Deeks raises an eyebrow as Nate bounces another dart off the board. "Much better than before. Talking about…things has helped a lot with that."

"Good," Nate responds, picking up another dart and inspecting it. "You appear to be doing very well at work. No hesitation at all. That was a hell of a shot today by the way."

"Why thank you," Deeks smiles, picking up the darts off of the floor. "I gotta be honest with you, Nate. Therapy, real sessions where we talk through everything and it's focused on my situations, it's-" he pauses, finding his words. "It's what I needed. I needed more than just sleep, more than my partner, and more than a quickie therapy session worthy of The Flash."

Nate nods, throwing a dart and finally connecting with the board, scoring 10 points. "I let you down. I did what Hetty asked of me, not what you actually needed. And I'm sorry."

"What's done is done. It pushed me in the right direction, at least." Deeks pulls the dart off the board and moves into position to take his turn. "My turn to ask a question."

"Shoot."

Deeks fires a dart, hitting a 16. "Did you send Kensi to my apartment that night?"

"Send her? No. I told her that I thought you needed a friend." Nate flinches when Deeks hits a triple point 8. "I may have actually said that you needed her. But I think she needed you, too. I'm not surprised she showed up when she did."

"Thank you," Deeks responds softly. "You were right. I did need a friend, I just couldn't see it at the time."

"So things are going well with you two?" Nate asks nonchalantly.

Deeks shakes his head, chuckling. "Subtlety is not your strong suit, Dr. Getz. I'm going to defer that vague question to my partner. If you happen to see her on your world travels, that is."

"I imagine I would get that same answer from her too, right?" Deeks shrugs his shoulders in response. "Uh huh. Well, if I see her I will give her your regards."

"That's not really necessary."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. Wow, I'm really getting my ass kicked here," Nate laughs as Deeks fires and lands in triple point 20. "So. Did you ever figure it out?"

Fingering the fletching of his last dart, he gives Nate side-eyed glance. "Figure what out?"

Nate doesn't answer, just raises an eyebrow as if to say 'you know what I'm talking about' and points to Kensi's knife tucked into Deeks' pants.

Deeks laughs and fires his dart, hitting the inner bullseye. "Yeah. Yeah, I think maybe we did."


End file.
